01-06-2014, 08:27 AM
William Adler's new translation* reads:
* M. Wallraff, C. Scardino, L. Mecella & C. Guignard (eds.), W. Adler (trans.), Iulius Africanus, Cesti. The Extant Fragments (GCS Vol. 18, Berlin 2012), pp. 116-119 (Fragment D25).
Quote:Spontaneous combustion also by the following formula. This is the recipe: Take equal amounts of sulphur, rock salt, ashes, thunder stone, and pyrite, and pound fine in a black mortar, at midday sun. Also in equal amounts of each ingredient, mix together black mulberry sap and Zacynthian asphalt, the latter in liquid form and free flowing, resulting in a product that is sooty coloured. Then add to the asphalt the tiniest amount of quicklime. But because the sun is at its zenith, one must pound it carefully and protect the face, for it will ignite suddenly. When it catches fire, one should seal it in some sort of copper receptacle; in this way you will have it available in a box, without exposing it to the sun. If you should wish to ignite enemy armament, you will smear it on in the evening, either on the armament or some other object, but in secret; when the sun comes us [probably a typo for "comes up"], everything will be burned up.
* M. Wallraff, C. Scardino, L. Mecella & C. Guignard (eds.), W. Adler (trans.), Iulius Africanus, Cesti. The Extant Fragments (GCS Vol. 18, Berlin 2012), pp. 116-119 (Fragment D25).
